“Through early morning fog, I see visions of the things to be…” For a lot of television fans, hearing that familiar theme song still brings back memories of wisecracking surgeons, exhausted nurses, practical jokes in the operating camp, and a cast that somehow balanced comedy with heartbreak better than almost any show before or since. Welcome back to the 4077th. And perhaps this time we will skip the “Attention, maggots!” introduction and simply treat this as a long-overdue reunion with the unforgettable cast of M*A*S*H, the series that turned a mobile army hospital in Korea into one of television’s most beloved settings.
M*A*S*H ran for an incredible 11 seasons, which is especially remarkable considering the Korean War itself lasted only about two and a half years. During the 1970s and early 1980s, the show became one of the biggest programs on television and later inspired spin-offs like Trapper John, M.D. and AfterMASH, along with the short-lived pilot W*A*L*T*E*R. Much of that success came from the remarkable chemistry of the cast, led by Alan Alda, whose performances kept audiences laughing one moment and emotional the next. When the series finale finally aired in 1983, millions of Americans made sure they were watching. Now, decades later, it is time to look back at the actors who brought the doctors, nurses, and soldiers of the 4077th to life, see where their careers took them afterward, and find out which members of the cast are still with us today.
Is Alan Alda still alive?
Alan Alda was undoubtedly the spine of M*A*S*H, not only by being the lead actor, but proving it by the fact that no matter how many cast members changed around him, the show went on. But being the lead was just part of the equation, as he often wrote and directed episodes for the acclaimed series. This includes the movie-length finale that shattered the record books with 121 million viewers. In total, Alan actually directed 31 episodes of M*A*S*H, the first coming in season 2 with “Mail Call.”
He wrote and directed three movies after honing his craft on that Army Surgical Base in Korea (and writing and directing 1981’s The Four Seasons, costarring Carol Burnett). He completed Sweet Liberty in 1986 starring himself, Michelle Pfeiffer and Michael Caine. Two years years later he shot A New Life, in which he co-starred with Hal Linden, and Ann-Margaret. Then, in 1990, he directed Betsy’s Wedding, costarring alongside Joey Bishop and Madeline Kahn. That would be his final directorial effort, Alan preferring to concentrate fully on his specific acting roles, rather than split his attention in two distinct areas.
Alan, who was born Alphonso Joseph D’Abruzzo on January 28, 1936 in the Bronx, New York, actually grew up in the wings of Burlesque theaters, as his father was a traveling actor and singer, while his mother was a homemaker and a former beauty pageant winner. At an early age, Alda was taking part in Burlesque sketches at his family’s home, learning how to fit into broad comedy, and working with career performers.
In a 1970 profile of him that was published by The Los Angeles Times, the piece detailed, “The family traveled extensively; his father did USO tours, appeared in nightclubs, performed in burlesque and vaudeville. ‘One of my most vivid memories is going to sleep every day at 5 o’clock in the morning,’ says Alan, ‘in our apartment over a gambling casino in Louisville.’ He lived in Hollywood from the age of 7 to 14. In high school he decided he wanted to be a comedian ‘like Sid Caesar. But then I began to develop my taste for acting. Jokes are an avoidance of life.’ His father, Alan says, ‘was very ambivalent. He kept teaching me how to tell jokes and telling me not to be an actor.'”
At 16 he became an apprentice at summer theater in Barnsville, Pennsylvania. While in college he joined the Broadway-bound play Hot Corner, which saw him costarring with Hope Lange, Don Murray and Sam Levene. Unfortunately, the play closed after just three performances. “I was in so many bad plays,” he told the Times, “I got to know how long it would run. A week, two weeks, six months.”
Between gigs, he took on a variety of jobs, including working behind the counter in chicken parts stores, a clown at supermarket openings, a cabbie and actually a human guinea pig for a psychiatrist experimenting with hypnosis. “The experience was invaluable,” he said. “Not only as a person, but as an actor. I began to realize what the body can attain at the command of the imagination. Then later on Broadway, I did The Apple Tree with Barbara Harris, who has that ability to use her body incredibly.” He would go on to make many stage appearances, including The Owl and the Pussycat.
From his father, Alda did learn the importance of wit and spontaneity. And the early education paid off, as he was cast in his first TV role at 22 years old on a 1958 episode of The Phil Silvers Show. Between that and the debut of M*A*S*H, he guested on shows like Route 66, East Side/West Side and The Trials of O’Brien, as well appeared in the TV movies The Glass House and Playmates (both in 1972). On the big screen, he was in Gone Are the Days! (1963), Paper Lion (1968), Jenny (1970) and The Mephisto Waltz (1971).
It was in the early ’70s when producer Gene Reynolds began putting the pieces together that would become M*A*S*H, based on the 1970 film of the same name. “I was hesitant at first,” he admitted to the Star-Phoenix in 1973, “because I was afraid it might deal lightly with war. I signed on as soon as I was convinced that it didn’t. I turned down a lead in Rosemary’s Baby — and in quite a few other movies, too — because I believe it is wrong to glorify brutality, to illustrate war unless you show that war is bad.”
He would continue acting alongside Hollywood’s elite for as long as he desired. From successful Woody Allen flicks like Crimes and Misdemeanors to blockbusters like The Aviator, Alan’s done it all. And then there was his acclaimed stint on The West Wing as Senator Arnold Vinick. In recent years, he has been in several episodes of The Good Fight and Ray Donovan, reprising his role of Dr. Arthur Amiot from the latter in this year’s Ray Donovan: The Movie. On the big screen he was in Bridge of Spies (2015) and Marriage Story (2019). He does not currently have any projects in the works as he’s battling Parkinson’s Disease, but is doing his best to duke it out, saying, “You can hold back the progress if you do a lot of specific exercises, so I do a lot of crazy things.” You can also check out Alan’s podcast, Clear + Vivid.
Now 90, Alan Alda remains one of the surviving core cast members of M*A*S*H. In recent years, he has spoken openly about living with Parkinson’s disease while continuing to stay active through exercise, interviews, and his podcast Clear+Vivid. One remarkable bit of television trivia still follows him: he was the only male cast member to appear in both the very first episode and the legendary finale. And as the list of surviving members of the 4077th has grown smaller over the years, Alda remains one of the last living links to the series that defined a generation of television.
Is Loretta Swit still alive?
The only other actor from M*A*S*H who was in both the first and the final chapter of this iconic series was Loretta Swit (one of our 50 Fabulous Stars of the 1970s). She was so dynamic that showrunners tweaked the character to fit her wishes. Loretta naturally wanted Margaret ‘Hot Lips’ Houlihan’s character to grow during the course of the show, away from someone promiscuous and shrill, to a tough independent role model type. And by the end of the series, they had even stopped referring to her as Hot Lips.
Loretta actually tried to quit the show during the 10th season, because she was up for the role of Detective Cagney in what would become Cagney & Lacey. Unfortunately, contracts and studios rarely give up control, and CBS didn’t shock anyone, even her, when they refused to allow the show swap. Loretta did wind up playing Cagney in the TV movie pilot of the same name, which received great reviews and ratings. Unfortunately, the studios held firm, so Sharon Gless took her place and starred on the show for six years.
Born November 4, 1937 in Passaic, New Jersey, she made her Off-Broadway debut in An Enemy of the People in 1961, a production of the Actor’s Playhouse, which was followed by the Circle in the Square production of The Balcony. Next up was the national tour of the play Any Wednesday and then she became one of the Pigeon Sisters in the Los Angeles production of Neil Simon’s The Odd Couple, which starred Don Rickles and Ernest Borgnine. She would return to the stage repeatedly, most recently in 2017’s Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks.
Television began calling in 1969 and between then and 1972, she appeared in four episodes of Hawaii Five-0, as well as Mission: Impossible, Mannix, Gunsmoke, and The Bold Ones: The New Doctors. Her movie debut was in 1972’s Stand Up and Be Counted.
After signing on to M*A*S*H, The San Francisco Examiner offered up a profile in which the actress detailed that she was actually shy, and was enjoying the opportunity to essentially hide behind the character of Hoolihan. “I’m basically a person, and that takes in a lot of territory,” she said. “I’m very capable, I’m very vulnerable. We all like to cling to familiar things. impossible to give up. I’m too secure with those things.”
In the same piece, she also shared her views on acting itself: “I guess it’s the only profession I’ve ever been in that has given me security, even though I’m still an insecure person. Yet I thrive on pressure, and TV is pressure. I even create my own pressures and deadlines. Nobody forces them on me — I create these demands myself. On the weekends, sometimes I miss the hectic schedule of M*A*S*H. I don’t like vacations. I go away from my securities, and I don’t like that.”
She continued to work in TV movies and guest spots on shows through the ’80s and much of the ’90s, though she never did strike gold again. Swit, 86, seemed to have stopped acting in 1998 with a final role in Beach Movie, but two decades later, in 2019, she dusted off her acting chops and played Mrs. Kincaid in Play the Flute, an almost entirely unknown Christian-music based movie. She’s also very involved with animal rescues and has even written books about it. As to why M*A*S*H endures so many years later, she has her own theory.
“We became part of people’s families after spending 11 years in their kitchens, living rooms, bedrooms, and dens,” Loretta Swit once reflected. “I think the characters were so painfully human that it was easy for viewers to adopt us into their families.” She also laughed at the idea of formal cast reunions, joking that the M*A*S*H cast stayed so close over the years that seeing one another hardly felt unusual. “Everybody says, ‘It’s a reunion,’” she said. “And we’re like, ‘Are you kidding? I just had lunch with him.’”
Sadly, Loretta Swit passed away in May 2025 at the age of 87, marking the loss of another beloved member of the 4077th. With her passing, the number of surviving principal cast members from M*A*S*H became smaller, reminding longtime fans just how much time has passed since the final chopper flew away from camp.
Is Jamie Farr still alive?
It’s interesting to note that Jamie Farr and Alan Alda were the only two main cast members to have actually served in the U.S. Army in South Korea. And that both of them did their tours of duty after the 1953 cease-fire. Farr was drafted and began his time completing training films for the Army before going overseas to Japan and being part of Armed Forces Radio. But things changed dramatically thanks to a good friend back home by the name of Red Skelton. It seems that Red’s 12-year-old son had just died of Leukemia and he just needed to get away while also wanting to fulfill a deeper mission. He decided to request Farr’s support from the state department in his own efforts to entertain the troops, so basically Red plucked Jamie from being a private and raised him up. They began performing and touring throughout South Korea.
Even after the war, Red continued to lift up Jamie. After his father passed away, he was in limbo. Worries about home were pushing him to abandon his current path of comedy and entertainment. Luckily, Red didn’t see that as an option, claiming Farr was, “A doctor of comedy” and personally employed him in a way that supported his family back home. Who knew that we had Red Skelton to thank in part for the magic of the M*A*S*H ensemble?
In fact, Jamie made his TV debut in 1955 on an episode of The Red Skelton Show and from there made guest appearances on virtually every other television sitcom, and many dramas, you could imagine before the 4077th came calling. And surprisingly, he wasn’t the least bit worried about typecasting as the cross-dressing Klinger. “Nobody ever remembers me,” he admitted to the Arizona Republic in 1973. “Although I’ve been in this business for 20 years and have made a nice living, I’ve one of those faces people just don’t recall. I always have to remind producers and casting directors the roles I’ve played and the series I’ve been in before. They look at me carefully, snap their fingers and say, ‘Oh, yeah! Now I know where I’ve seen you.'”
The gender-bending Klinger couldn’t have been played as memorably by anyone else as it was by Jamie, making his early worries about people not knowing him unnecessary. And it proves audiences thought that way as well, because Farr was originally only supposed to be in one episode, but the response resulted in his sticking around. Similar to Loretta, Jamie decided to tweak his character as the years ticked by, choosing to move away from the gender-bending aspect of Klinger out of respect to his family. He was worried his young children at the time would be teased at school. After Klinger took on the role of company clerk from Radar, he had pretty much put a stop to the routine altogether.
After M*A*S*H came to an end, Jamie Farr stayed just as busy as ever. He headed to the big screen for a memorable role as “The Sheik” in Cannonball Run II, joining an ensemble packed with familiar stars of the era. Fans of Corporal Klinger also got to see Farr continue the character’s story in AfterMASH, the spin-off series that followed Klinger, Colonel Potter, and Father Mulcahy as they adjusted to life working in a veterans hospital after the war. Farr remained a familiar television presence for decades afterward, often popping up in guest roles, game shows, interviews, and nostalgic reunions that reminded audiences just how beloved Klinger had become.
More recently, viewers saw him in the 2018 sitcom The Cool Kids, a retirement community comedy starring David Alan Grier and Vicki Lawrence that featured several familiar television veterans. That same year, he also appeared in the film Angels on Tap. Away from Hollywood, Farr has shared a remarkably long marriage with Joy Ann Richards since 1963, and together they raised two children. Turning 92 this July, Farr remains one of the surviving major cast members of M*A*S*H. Following the death of Loretta Swit in May 2025, Farr was among the remaining co-stars who publicly honored her memory, another reminder of how closely connected the cast remained long after leaving the 4077th behind.
Is William Christopher still alive?
William Christopher was booking constant television work before any of the stars we’ve mentioned before. He was in both Hogan’s Heroes as several characters, but really caught people’s attention as Lester Hummel on 16 episodes of the military sitcom — and spin-off of The Andy Griffith Show — Gomer Pyle: USMC. When auditioning for his M*A*S*H role, William essentially ignored the prepared script and instead ad-libbed a rambling speech in his iconic priestly tone. The producers liked his performance and demeanor well enough to offer him the role, on one condition: That he would try to stick to the script.
During his years on M*A*S*H, William Christopher occasionally had to miss episodes because he was helping care for his autistic son, Ned. At one point, producers reportedly considered ending his contract due to his reduced availability. According to longtime cast stories, Alan Alda stepped in and pushed for Christopher to remain on the series, believing both the actor and his family depended on the income. It was another example of the close bond shared behind the scenes at the 4077th. Christopher’s gentle and compassionate portrayal of Father Mulcahy became one of the emotional anchors of the series, especially as the show gradually leaned into more dramatic storytelling.
Like Jamie Farr, Christopher continued his role in the spin-off AfterMASH, keeping Father Mulcahy’s story alive after the original series ended. Younger viewers may also recognize his voice as Angel Smurf from the 1984 Smurfs animated series. Over the years, Christopher frequently found himself cast in religious roles, a sign of how strongly audiences associated him with Father Mulcahy. He played priests and chaplains several more times throughout his career, including his final credited role as Father Tobias on Days of Our Lives in 2012. Married to Barbara O’Connor since 1957 and the father of two children, William Christopher passed away in 2016 at the age of 84 from carcinoma. With his passing, another familiar face from the 4077th was gone, further shrinking the surviving cast of M*A*S*H.
Is Harry Morgan still alive?
Before M*A*S*H, Harry Morgan was already a prolific actor whose television work included starring roles in the sitcoms December Bride (1954 to 1959) and Pete and Gladys (1960 to 1962). He went decidedly more dramatic as Officer Bill Gannon on Dragnet (1967 to 1970), which was followed by Amos Coogan on Hec Ramsey (1972 to 1974). He actually appeared on the third season episode of M*A*S*H titled “The General Flipped at Dawn,” the general in question not being Potter. Interestingly, cast members were unsure about his role in such a heavily comedic show. Almost immediately after filming began, though, they were won over by Morgan’s comedic acting chops. Given his background, it’s no secret why. His guest-appearance as General Steele was so successful, that when McLean Stevenson left the show, producers decided to bring back Harry Morgan to fill the surrogate parent role as Potter, remaining in the cast until the show’s conclusion.
In 1983, when M*A*S*H was in its final season, a survey was done on the popularity of all TV stars and Alan Alda, Jamie Farr, and Harry Morgan were three of the top 10 (Alda #1, Morgan #2, and Farr #10). In an interview, Morgan said he had wanted to play Colonel Potter forever and no one could argue with that. After the farewell, he joined Farr and Christopher in AfterMASH, then co-starred with Hal Linden, who was fresh off the success of Barney Miller, as they looked for a bit of hocus-pocus in their show, Blacke’s Magic. Yes, a magician and his con-man father solving mysteries, but, sadly, it did not gain steam and was a bust.
Harry was terrific in the comedic 1987 movie version of Dragnet (one of about 100 films he appeared in throughout his career) starring Tom Hanks and Dan Aykroyd, and in 1997 he completed his final recurring role on a TV series as Professor Suter on 3rd Rock from the Sun. Morgan died peacefully in his sleep at an impressive 96 years old in 2011.
Following William Christopher’s death, his M*A*S*H co-stars shared heartfelt tributes that showed just how deeply respected and loved he was behind the scenes. Mike Farrell released an especially moving statement, describing Christopher as “a wonderful man, a fabulous actor and a dear and close friend since the first day we worked together.” Farrell also recalled something Alan Alda once said about him: that he “did not have an unadorable bone in his body.” According to Farrell, Christopher was dependable, humble, funny, and endlessly generous with his fellow actors, the kind of performer who quietly elevated every scene he was in without ever demanding attention for himself.
Farrell went on to praise Christopher as the perfect example of a true character actor, someone whose presence made everyone around him better. One memory especially stayed with the cast over the years: at the press conference marking the end of M*A*S*H, Christopher was asked whether working on the series had made him a better actor. His answer reflected exactly the kind of man his co-stars remembered. “I don’t know about that,” he said, “but it made me a better human being.” After Christopher passed away in 2016, those words carried even greater meaning for the cast and fans alike, especially as the surviving members of the 4077th continued growing fewer with time.
Is Gary Burghoff still alive?
The humorous Corporal Radar O’Reilly was played by Gary Burghoff in both the original 1970 film version and subsequent television series. He was the only lead actor to do both, the producers taking note of his performance and casting him before anyone else. His character “Radar” on M*A*S*H , who showed a fondness for the care of animals, was actually inspired by Gary’s true love for wildlife. He once worked for the Animal Rehabilitation Clinic in Southern California. Gary left M*A*S*H after contract disputes and never again reached the heights that Radar provided. But he did move on.
After M*A*S*H, Gary Burghoff proved there was far more to him than just Radar O’Reilly. In addition to briefly returning to the character in AfterMASH, Burghoff explored a surprisingly wide range of interests outside Hollywood. During the 1980s, he recorded a jazz album and continued writing and performing music over the years. But acting was only one chapter of his life after leaving the 4077th behind. Burghoff also became deeply involved in fishing and outdoor hobbies, eventually visiting and fishing in every single U.S. state.
His love of fishing even turned into inventive engineering. Burghoff holds several patents related to fishing tackle, including a floating device called Chum Magic designed to attract fish more effectively. According to him, the invention could increase catches by as much as 300 percent. Though he stepped away from acting more than many of his former castmates, he still occasionally appeared onscreen, with his final acting credit coming in the 2010 film Daniel’s Lot. Now in his eighties, Burghoff has been married twice and is the father of three children. Today, at , he remains one of the surviving cast members of M*A*S*H, another lasting connection to the legendary series as more members of the 4077th have sadly passed on over the years.
Is Mike Farrell still alive?
Mike Farrell is best friends with Alan Alda and no stranger to Hollywood stars, having attended West Hollywood Grammar School with the likes of Natalie Wood and Ricky Nelson. Farrell, who came in after Wayne Rogers as Trapper John left the show, was one heck of a Captain Hunnicutt, and such a great counterpart to Alan Alda. It was even Alan’s idea for him to grow a mustache in the seventh season, which he kept for the rest of the show’s run.
Mike’s career could have gone in a very different direction. In 1973 he starred with Robert Foxworth in the pilot for The Questor Tapes, created by Star Trek‘s Gene Roddenberry. In it, Foxworth was an android named Questor who had been put here to help humanity reach its future, and Farrell is Jerry Robinson, the man who activated him and now serves as a guide of sorts to the strengths of the human race. The pilot was very successful, but NBC and Universal decided that the subsequent series should be like The Fugitive, with Questor moving from city to city on his quest, but without Jerry Farrell in the mix. The actor was dropped, though when it became obvious that things weren’t working without his character, they came back to him. Mike turned them down, feeling that coming back would be “exactly the wrong thing to do.” Questor came to a halt before filming started and it wasn’t long before M*A*S*H came looking for him.
After M*A*S*H, Mike Farrell built a long and varied career both in front of and behind the camera. In 1986, he starred alongside Margot Kidder and Fred Gwynne in Vanishing Act. Television audiences also came to know him as veterinarian Dr. Jim Hansen on Providence, where he appeared in 64 episodes during the show’s run. Farrell later formed his own production company and helped bring the 1998 film Patch Adams to the screen, inspired in part by his real-life friendship with the unconventional doctor portrayed by Robin Williams in the film.
Outside acting, Farrell became increasingly involved in political and humanitarian causes over the years, speaking publicly against the Iraq War and the death penalty in California. Even while focusing on activism, he continued acting steadily, including appearances on NCIS in 2019. The father of two has been married twice, first to Judy Hayden from 1963 until 1983, and then to Shelley Fabares, known for The Donna Reed Show and Coach, since 1984. Having turned , Mike Farrell remains one of the surviving major cast members of M*A*S*H, continuing to represent an era of television that still means a great deal to longtime fans.
Is Kellye Nakahara still alive?
While maybe not being as prominent as other cast members, Nurse Kellye was featured in 167 episodes, always rolling with the punches, light-hearted, and serious. The part-Hawaiian and part-Chinese Lieutenant always held her own on-screen.
Actress Kellye Nakahara, who brought the nurse to life on all of those episodes, most notably went on to play the cook in the movie Clue, and she made an appearance in a Sabrina the Teenage Witch episode. Sadly, Kellye Nakahara passed away from cancer in February 2020 at the age of 72. Her death marked the loss of yet another member of the extended M*A*S*H family, as the number of surviving cast members from the legendary series continues to grow smaller with time.
Is Larry Linville still alive?
High-strung and overly-confident in his surgical skills, Burns was a staple on the show for five seasons before the actor in the role started feeling stifled and decided to depart. Over the next three decades, Larry Linville worked in TV consistently, on NBC’s Grandpa Goes to Washington in 1979, and then in 1981, he was on a short-lived spinoff of The Jeffersons titled Checking In.
Larry hit the big screen, too, with roles in Earth Girls Are Easy in 1988 and 1991’s Rock ‘n’ Roll High School Forever. In that one, if you haven’t seen it, Corey Feldman leads a rock and roll rally that Principal Major Frank Burns has to deal with, and, yeah, it’s a fun, bad movie.
The father of one child, Linville was married five times over the course of his life. Best remembered by television audiences as the arrogant yet strangely hilarious Frank Burns on M*A*S*H, Linville remained closely associated with the role long after leaving the series. Sadly, on April 10, 2000, he passed away at the age of 60 following complications from cancer surgery. With his death, another original member of the 4077th was lost, further reducing the number of surviving cast members from the landmark series.
Is David Ogden Stiers still alive?
Major Winchester, with his discerning Boston accent being from Illinois, was the only cast member to use an accent. David Odgen Stiers, who played him, was very active after M*A*S*H. He starred in the popular CBS miniseries, North & South, and its sequel, North & South: Book 2.
After M*A*S*H, David Ogden Stiers built an especially successful second career as a voice actor. He lent his distinctive voice to dozens of animated projects, including 66 episodes of Lilo & Stitch: The Series, along with major roles in Disney films like Pocahontas and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. But the role many younger audiences instantly recognized was Cogsworth in Disney’s enormously successful Beauty and the Beast in 1991, where Stiers also served as the film’s narrator. His warm but precise voice made him a natural fit for animation, and he became one of Disney’s most dependable character performers throughout the 1990s.
Though fans of M*A*S*H will always remember him as the sophisticated and sharp-tongued Major Charles Winchester, Stiers continued working steadily for decades across television, film, and voice acting. Sadly, he passed away on March 3, 2018, at the age of 75 due to complications related to bladder cancer. With his passing, another beloved member of the 4077th was gone, leaving fewer surviving cast members from one of television’s most celebrated ensemble shows.
Is Wayne Rogers still alive?
The connection between Hawkeye and BJ was pretty unbreakable, and the other person that he had that sort of connection with, though not as deep, was with Trapper John, as played by Wayne Rogers in the show’s first three seasons.
Wayne was born on April 7, 1933, in Birmingham, Alabama. Before becoming an actor, he served in the United States Navy. In 1959 he played the character of Slim Davis on the daytime soap Search for Tomorrow, and the following year appeared in the film Odds Against Tomorrow. From 1960 to 1961 he co-starred on the Western series Stagecoach West. Small roles in other shows and films filled out the ’60s and early ’70s, before he was signed for M*A*S*H. Wanting to expand his acting horizons, he left the show before its fourth season, starring in the 1976 series City of Angels. From 1979 to 1982, he was cast alongside Lynn Redgrave and, then, Sharon Gless in the medical comedy House Calls. Bizarrely, in 1985 he was cast as Tony Nelson (replacing Larry Hagman, who was starring on Dallas) in the reunion movie I Dream of Jeannie: Fifteen Years Later.
He acted on and off, taking small film roles between 1985’s The Gig and 2003’s Nobody Knows Anything!. During his time on M*A*S*H, he began exploring the real estate and stock markets, and eventually appeared as a panel member on the Fox Business Network. In 2006, he found himself elected to the board of directors of Vishay Intertechnology, Inc, and was ultimately behind the stock trading investing corporation, Wayne Rogers & Co.
Wayne was married twice and had two children. Although he eventually stepped away from the series early in its run, Rogers went on to build a successful career both in entertainment and business, becoming known in later years for his sharp financial insight and television commentary. Sadly, he passed away on December 31, 2015, at the age of 82 due to complications from pneumonia. His death marked the loss of another original member of the 4077th, as the surviving cast of M*A*S*H has gradually grown smaller over the decades.
Is McLean Stevenson still alive?
Henry Blake was a physician called up to active duty, taken from his private practice in Illinois, and brought in to command the 4077th. Far from by the book, in many ways, he is pretty laid back. When the actor who plays him, McLean Stevenson, wanted out of the show following season three, the writers killed him off in an attack while he was flying back home, a fact the other actors did not know so the response from them we see when they hear the news — while performing surgery — is very real.
Born November 14, 1927, in Normal, Illinois, McLean served in the Navy from 1946 to 1947. Afterwards, he attended Northwestern University, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in theater arts. His first gigs were working at a radio station and playing a clown on a live TV show in Dallas. Eventually, he got his start in theater, being cast in various summer stock productions. Making his way to Broadway, he also began writing for television variety shows and occasionally appearing in skits. There were also a number of TV commercials in the late ’60s and early ’70s as well as a few TV guest appearances. Then he was cast as Henry Blake on M*A*S*H, but, as was the case with Wayne Rogers, he grew tired of being a supporting player and departed.
Afterwards, he would periodically become a guest panelist on the TV game show Match Game. He got his wish for a show in which he was the star in the form of a self-titled variety show, but, aired initially as a special, the ratings were so low that plans for additional episodes were scrapped. He shifted over to the sitcoms The McLean Stevenson Show (1976 to 1977), In the Beginning (1978), Hello, Larry (1979 to 1980) and Condo (1983). Subsequently, there were guest appearances and, yes, a supporting role on the TV version of Dirty Dancing, but no matter what he tried, he could not duplicate the success of M*A*S*H.
On February 15, 1996, while recovering from bladder cancer surgery, he suffered a sudden heart attack and passed away at the age of 68. He was married three times. With his passing, another member of the M*A*S*H family was lost as the number of surviving cast members continued to grow smaller over the years.
For many fans, M*A*S*H was more than just a television show. Week after week, the doctors, nurses, and soldiers of the 4077th felt like familiar faces waiting in the living room, balancing humor and heartbreak in a way few series ever managed. While many beloved cast members have sadly passed away over the years, their performances continue to keep the camp alive for every viewer who still hears that theme song and instantly remembers Hawkeye, Hot Lips, Radar, Klinger, and the rest of the crew.
